Care
by RonaldAndMione
Summary: Hermione's struggling with her work, and her friendship with Ron is also shaky. She's not very happy at the moment. POA piece for DHP2 celebration.


**My third piece, set in POA. Thanks for all your messages regarding my other two stories.**

**Disclaimer: I think you know what's mine and what's not in this story.**

Hermione sighed as she looked at the pile of books in front of her. She paused for a moment, and thought of the amount of work in front of her. Hastily shaking her head, she realised now was not the time for cerebrating. She had to get this work done.

She pulled out her potions textbook out from the pile, refraining from sighing once more. Snape had assigned them the task of identifying the purposes of various ingredients and how they benefit in different potions. The list of 'various ingredients' was quite large. Hermione began her work, scribbling on her parchment speedily, trying to get it all done.

She had stopped trying hard to get extra credit. She was now struggling to complete the work assigned to her, and was just barely getting it done. She didn't have time to add extra detail, and she really regretted it.

She felt pressure around her constantly these days. She was tired, stressed, snappy, and she was losing her friends. Ron was annoyed at her cat, and Harry didn't spend much time with her either - it wasn't really his fault, though. She didn't have time to spend with her friends, and it was really costing her. She didn't want to admit she couldn't do it - McGonnagoll had encouraged her, had _reccomended_ her, and Hermione didn't want to let her down. She didn't want to let herself down, either.

She was only halfway through her homework when the Gryffindor students made their way up to bed. Ginny paused on her way up, telling her she needed to get some sleep. Hermione shook her head defiantly.

"I can't!" Hermione cried looking up at her. "I can't sleep! I don't have time! There's not enough time! I can't! I have to get this done!" she sighed exasperatedly, and glanced down at her Ancient Runes homework. The pages were getting blurry; tears were clouding her vision.

She would have used her time turner if there weren't so many people around. It would be too suspicious if one saw her in the library, and then, walking back to the tower, saw her studying in the common room, and then seeing her in her dormitory. At least there was no one else in two classes at once, which meant it wasn't _as_ suspicious.

"Hermione," Ginny began.

"Go to sleep, Ginny. I need to get this done." Hermione said, and Ginny reluctantly made her way up the girls' dormitory stairs.

She worked into the night, completing subject after subject. A few minutes after twelve thirty, she heard footsteps. Her head was struggling to stay up, and her arm was supporting it. Her curiosity, however, encouraged her to glance up.

"Scabbers?" someone called out in a hushed voice. Hermione gasped. It was Ron. "It's okay, there's no one here now except for me, you can come out now, don't be afraid… oh bloody hell, mum's going to kill me when she finds out I've lost him… please Scabbers, do it for—oh."

He had come down the steps and spotted Hermione in the corner. He glared at her. "Now I see why you're not showing up," Ron said, "you're scared of Hermione, aren't you?"

Hermione, however tired she was, had enough strength to roll her eyes.

"Scabbers, don't worry, Hermione's mongrel isn't here… I don't think?" he asked Hermione with his eyebrows raised.

"No, he isn't. I don't have a mongrel." Hermione pointed out, and looked down at her parchment once more. _Ignore him, ignore him_... oh how she wished to repair the rift between them… there was no time though!

"Fine. Is Crookshanks around?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No." she paused. "He's in my dormitory, sleeping."

Ron nodded, then furrowed his eyebrows. "Why aren't you?"

"Why aren't I what?" Hermione asked, her brain feeling dizzy from all the thoughts in her head.

"Why aren't you in your dormitory sleeping?" he asked, sounding casual.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I need to get this work done."

"You still haven't finished?" Ron shrieked.

"Shut up, Ron, you're going to wake the whole Gryffindor tower." Hermione hissed. "And no, I haven't, so could you please leave me alone so I can work in peace?"

"Wait, have you seen Scabbers?" Ron asked.

"No, I haven't!" Hermione said indignantly. "I'm not supposed to keep track of him, you are! You're his owner!"

"You're not looking after Crookshanks at the moment, are you? How do you know Crookshanks hasn't picked Scabbers up and eaten him?" Ron retorted.

Hermione sighed. "Look Ron, I don't have time for this."

At that moment, a squeak was heard and out from under the couch Scabbers ran. Ron lunged forward and grabbed onto him. "There you are!" he exclaimed.

Hermione shook her head and looked back at her work. _Transfiguration…_ she thought. _Focus… transfiguration is one of your favourite subjects… come on, you can do this._

"Hermione?"

Hermione lifted her head up and looked at Ron, who was standing on the second step leading up to the boys' dormitory.

"What Ron?" she asked.

"You don't look too well." He said.

Hermione frowned. "I thought our argument was about our pets, not ourselves, and even if we _were_ arguing about how much we dislike each other, that is a petty retort."

Ron shook his head. "I don't mean that!" Ron exclaimed. "Bloody hell." He muttered. "What I mean is, you look pale and tired… you should get some sleep."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't. I have to finish this work." She paused. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"

Ron stiffened. "No reason," he blurted out. He furrowed his brow, as if he was trying to think of something. His eyes lit up, and he added "…I just want to make sure next time there's a rat in the room you'd know!"

"Maybe I won't need to know if you took better care of your pets!" she retorted, hurt by the fact Ron didn't want to admit he was worried for her.

Ron made a sound that was between a sigh and a growl. "Why do I even bother?" Ron said, although Hermione didn't think it was directed to her or her comeback – rather, to himself. "Good night!" he called out angrily, and walked up the steps.

Hermione looked back at her homework. Despite the fact they were still arguing, Ron was still worried for her and her wellbeing. She smiled at the stairs leading up to the boys' dormitory. He was worried.

She picked up her books and put them into her bag. A good night's sleep wouldn't hurt her concentration. It wouldn't hurt her at all. Her homework could wait.

With a smile on her face, she walked up the stairs leading to her room. Her brain was focusing on one thing only.

_Ron still cared._

**Please leave a review telling me what you thought :) I'm not really very pleased with this story, same with the next two which you'll see soon, but I'd still like to know what you think.**

**-Sasha**


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